


Brevity

by fairxv



Category: Cowboy Bebop
Genre: Arguing, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Romance, Explicit Language, F/M, Hate to Love, Love/Hate, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-21 22:31:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13153380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairxv/pseuds/fairxv
Summary: Spike Spiegel has been tracking a peculiar thief all across the solar system, but when he finally meets her face to face, something changes forever.brevity (n.) - shortness of time.





	Brevity

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Memento Mori](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13122618) by [fairxv](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairxv/pseuds/fairxv). 



“You seem like you’re running away from something.”

The man was older, suntanned face and wrinkles all over, pushing sixty, Caroline believed. He stared at her with kindness and curiosity, the uncomfortable feeling of exposure washing over her.

It was a hot planet, sending beads of sweat hurtling down her spine as she walked in at a casual pace, the blisters on her feet aching.

“Someone,” She corrected after a long moment of silence.

The man chuckled, walking alongside her as he tossed grain to a flock of chickens. Caroline had wandered past his farm and he tipped his hat to her, engaging in a friendly conversation, until now.

“Lover’s quarrel?”

It was an innocent guess, but it struck a chord. Caroline shook her head, focusing on the dusty ground, wondering how anyone could harvest there.

“He’s got his own problems, I have mine. We both have pasts to clean up, and maybe things can be different if we see each other again.”

 

* * *

 

Spike Spiegel leaned coolly against the exterior of the run-down bar on the east side of the island, a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. His eyes scanned the crowds of people with regular faces, smoke rising from his figure and dissipating into the night air. The scent of gasoline and alcohol seemed to permanently mingle in the air, and Spike wondered if he would get drunk or high first.

Jet was moving through the city beyond Spike’s eyesight, asking tips on the mysterious girl. First, she was on Mars, then on Jupiter, then now, they stood on Tijuana. She was a thief, well known for having sticky fingers, often going unnoticed until it was much too late. She specialized in smaller objects, things most people would notice went missing until it was too late.

However, as of lately, the sticky-handed thief had stolen a fair bit from a reputable jeweler on Mars, leading to a hefty bounty when the sums of her conquests were tallied. It was all too obvious to Spike – the girl was looking for something. Not so long after the items were reported missing, they were mailed back from a variety of post offices.

What, however, Spike wasn’t sure.

A girl passed him, chestnut hair flowing wildly behind her as she flashed him a grin, green eyes twinkling in the neon glow of the bar. Spike watched her pass, trying to remember a time he was so carefree.

Jet moved around the corner with his hands across his chest, sending Spike a sharp glare that revealed his attainment of information. Spike pushed himself off the rough brick, inhaling from his cigarette.

“She’s not hit the jeweler here yet, but it’s only a matter of time. The manager intends to hold a sale on Opals in attempt to attract her, so he can get the bounty himself.”  
“Opals?”

Spike raised an eyebrow, staring at his partner in confusion.

“That’s what she likes the most,” Jet answered, “she never takes anything else, just the opals.”

So, the thief had a penchant for opals. What was it about the shiny stone that called her from even the farthest parts of the Solar system? Spike scoffed, stubbing out his cigarette with his boot. They’d wasted time and money on her, whoever she was. Had it not been for the hefty bounty on her head, and his own curiosity, Spike would have left her be already.

She was a peculiar thief – if he could even say thief. He’d heard a number of strange things about her, that her face was weird, that she was actually an alien in disguise, that she was a member of the Red Dragons.

Spike doubted her allegiance to the Syndicate – she wouldn’t have mailed the jewelry back.

“She mails them back, usually two weeks after they were initially reported missing…” Spike said, mostly to himself.  
“Weirdest thief I’ve ever heard of,” Jet sighed, “let’s just get her and get off this damn planet.”  
“you know where the jewelry store is?”

Jet’s face fell as he grumbled under his breath, vexation present across his bearded face. Spike turned towards the passing girl, spotting her moving amongst the crowd at a slow, leisurely pace. He stepped forward.

 

* * *

 

She passed him on a whim, on a strike of confidence. Caroline watched him silently from a distance as he walked on the main strip, pausing at a bar with a bright neon sign. He lifted a bent cigarette to his lips, the glow of fire sparking briefly in the night as he inhaled deeply leaning against the wall.

Spike Spiegel had been tracking her for a good while, and it’d only taken Caroline three planets to realize it. In between her failure to find the right Opal and running from the various bounty hunters, she remembered his eyes. One was a different color, without emotion or life within it. It sent chills down her spine the first time Caroline had seen him face to face.

Back then, he didn’t know it was her. He acknowledged her barely, eyes skimming where she sat at the bar, looking over her shoulder. He wasn’t looking at her then, for someone else. He passed her on his way out without even glancing in her direction.

Caroline wondered if Spike remembered her face then.

He looked around at the bustling streets. Caroline moved through the crowd of people, making her way towards his section of the strip. Where was his partner? She’d heard he traveled with another man, and sometimes a woman, but neither seemed to be around him.

In the moment her foot hit the pavement, Spike’s head lolled towards her, lazy eyes bored and unamused, two different colors that seemed to narrow on the passersby’s. Caroline smiled at him, watching his face change as she passed.

It was mean to play games, that much Caroline knew, but it’d been so long since she had fun. Ever since he came back, Caroline had spent most of her time hitting up jewelry shops and taking the goods back to him, only for him to reveal that each was wrong. He’d give her a soft smile, pat her on the shoulder, and tell her that she didn’t need to go through so much trouble for him.

But Gren was always like that – a humble guy who believed that he deserved little. He’d taken her in when she had nothing, gave her food, water, saved her from starvation. He deserved better, and if Caroline could find this one thing for him, then all would be right in the world.

“Excuse me miss.”

Caroline turned at his voice. Smooth in a calming way, friendly despite his questionable record. Spike approached her slowly, and briefly, she wondered if she’d blown it all. The city was a maze, but she was small, it was already hard for her to get around the town. Trying to get around the city while being chased by two men seemed like a nearly impossible task.

“Do you know where Anton’s jewelry is? I’m new here and I’ve got no idea.”

He said it scratching the back of his head, maintain the friendly composure that offset her. Caroline adjusted her bag over her shoulder, the weight of the recent heist weighing on the muscles. She’d caught him on his lunch break, and wondered if Anton had noticed the chunk of valuable stones that had gone missing.

“Go all the way down the block, take a left at the police station, go another two blocks and you’re there. Be careful though, they say that Opal thief is going to strike.”

She was playing, it was painfully obvious Spike hadn’t recognized her, and if he had, he was playing games with her as well. He didn’t seem like the type to joke around though, at least not to Caroline’s gathered knowledge.

“You don’t say? I’m actually tracking her, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about her, would you?”  
“Nope, I’m just like you, new here. I live on Mars.”

Spike’s eyes narrowed on her, he moved closer, strange, emotionless eye narrowed at her as he smiled. With a single gesture, Spike confirmed Caroline’s suspicions. The bastard was just playing games with her.

“Why don’t you lead me there,” he said quietly, for only her to hear, “we can stop by the police station on the way.”

Caroline grinned, trying to mask her nervousness. She couldn’t let it end here – especially not because of some bounty hunter with a history of losing bounties. He gripped her arm softly, walking forwards on the strip. He waved to his partner over his shoulder. Caroline gripped the backpack, mentally debating whether or not it was worth it to try running.

“Why opals? And why mail them back every time?”  
“I’m looking for something,” Caroline explained, “for someone. I’m not a thief, I’m just… borrowing.”

Spike looked at her skeptically, tugging her closer. In the neon lights of the nightlife, she watched a pink light reflect off the gun strapped to his hip.

“Not a thief,” Spike jested, “so when you found that something, were you going to go back to the store and pay for it?”

Caroline sighed, looking up at his face. The man was damn irritating, and ever second made her consider running. If she could lose him, that was enough. All she had to do was lose him long enough to get the hell off the planet and back to Callisto.

“Don’t even think about running off,” Spike said as if guessing her thoughts, “the moment you make a break for it, everyone in this town will know that you’re the thief.”

 Much as Caroline hated to admit it, Spike was right. Getting past two men seemed like a cake walk when she considered having to escape an entire town of angry citizens.

“Listen,” She said turning to him, “I’ll get it back, you can take it to the jeweler. Please, I just… I need to get back to my friend. He’s sick, alright?”

The smallest of lies, but Caroline was panicking. She couldn’t be arrested and put in prison. She owed Gren too much to be put in prison for a couple years. He’d be disappointed, and that hurt worse than anything.

She had to think of a creative way to ditch Spike and get to her ship. If she laid low for a little while, Spike wouldn’t be able to track her. That was all she needed. Even if it meant staying away from Callisto for a little while, where her presence was sure to be noticed.

Caroline frowned, feeling Spike’s grip tighten on her wrist.

“Sorry,” He said finally, “can’t do that, kid.”

**Author's Note:**

> Based on my previous one-shot, Memento Mori. This is the full fic, some names have changed.


End file.
